The Lady in Pink
by Naru-teen Titan
Summary: Inspired by the thumbnail. Vale, 1920s. Prohibition is in full effect. Jaune and Weiss are forced into an arranged marriage neither one wants. Jaune falls in love with a mysterious lady who comes to their engagement party and then he enters a dangerous struggle that puts the lives of those around him in jeopardy by making some powerful friends and enemies.
1. Chapter 1

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Setting: AU Kingdom of Vale 1920s Prohibition

Chapter 1

The white Ford clacked along the paved street. Roman Torchwick was dressed in a tuxedo with a grey vest, his trademark bowler hat sat squarely upon his head. His unruly orange hair covered his right eye but Roman chose to style his hair that way because he thought it made him "look unique". He took his cigar out of his mouth and tapped the ashes out of the window. "This will be your first party in while, right?" He asked his companion sitting next to him. Neo nodded her head and smiled. Her pink parasol was placed neatly across her lap. A servant at the gate directed Roman to another servant who showed him where to park his car on the lawn of a grand mansion. It was difficult to find a spot of grass among the all the cars parked on the lawn. Roman exited the car and helped Neo out of the vehicle. He slipped the keys into his right jacket pocket before turning to face the mansion. "So this is where the illustrious Arc family lives?" He inhaled, removed the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a large amount of smoke. "Hard to imagine that a couple of years ago I could only dream about affording a place like this." He chuckled a bit putting the cigar back in his mouth. Neo opened her pink parasol and placed it over her left shoulder gripping the handle with both her hands. She tilted her head to the side and sweetly smiled.

The two followed other couples and families entering into the foyer. The house was illuminated by fancy chandeliers and distinguished fixtures along the walls. Butlers and maids made rounds carrying silver platters of appetizers and cocktails for the guests. A band was playing a jazzy tune and some guests were dancing along with the music. "That's the head of the Arc family, Henri Arc." Roman pointed out the tall blonde man with sharp jawline and rounded nose to Neo. "And over there," Roman turned his head in the opposite direction. "is the head of the Schnee family and Collector of the Port of Vale, Walter Schnee." He was a little on the heavy side but not obese and had a fluffy white mustache. "I heard the Arc's only son and the Schnee's youngest daughter were recently engaged so that's why they decided to throw this party."

Neo caught a brief glimpse of Jaune between the ladies swooning over him. He appeared clumsy and awkward yet he wasn't repulsive and his ruffled blonde hair tempted Neo to imagine what it would be like to run her fingers through it. She saw Weiss Schnee politely greeting guests that approached her and her family. To the average observer Weiss appeared to be a dignified young lady but in actually, Weiss was very pretentious and only hide her true feelings to avoid damaging her family's reputation. She secretly hated the men who would offer her compliments about her beauty and grace. She wished she had not been born to an aristocratic family and be forced to live in a farcical world built upon rigid class structure. The upper echelons of society were divided into two camps the "old money" and the "new money". With the introduction of bootlegging and liquor running as a profitable enterprise due to Prohibition a new breed of self-made men wormed their way into high society. Those who had accumulated wealth over generations viewed these newcomers as bothersome and made all efforts not to associate with them.

Roman put his cigar out in a nearby ashtray before helping himself to a cocktail and small triangular ham and turkey sandwich. "Do you want anything?" He asked between bites.

Neo shook her head. _I'm fine_ she signed with one hand. _That boy over there,_ she pointed to Jaune. _What is his name?_

"Jaune." Roman responded. "And his fiancé's name is Weiss."

'Jaune.' Neo thought. It had a nice ring to it but it definitely didn't suit him. Jaune was also the name of his illustrious ancestor who had bravely quelled the advance of the enemy centuries ago. Every citizen of Vale young and old knew of his legendary feat. To Neo it seemed a bit presumptuous to give the same name to the bumbling young man.

"It would be rude of us to not introduce ourselves so let's go." Roman instructed He set his empty glass on top of a passing platter and they went over to the Arcs. The Arcs had eight children, seven girls and Jaune. Jaune was the third youngest of his siblings and the next one in line to marry. His older sisters had already married into equally prominent families from Remnant and were at the reception with their husbands. The youngest, Mary and Rose (12 and 10 respectively), were clinging onto his pant legs and zealously inspecting the women that approached him and sometimes reminding them he was "already taken". They would promptly apologize and giggle, thinking the girl's animosity towards them was cute rather than malicious. It was then Roman and Neo's turn to congratulate Jaune on his engagement. Roman removed his bowler hat and offered his hand to Jaune and his parents.

"Mr. Arc, Mrs. Arc, Jaune, my heartfelt congratulations for your engagement." He shook each of their hands. "This is my niece, Neapolitan." Neo held her pink parasol with one hand and extended the other one. She shook hands with Jaune and his parents as well.

"And who are you? I haven't seen you around." Henri Arc inquired.

Roman put his bowler hat back on. "Roman Torchwick, I'm an entrepreneur. I own a business called the _Round Robin_ down on Hubbard Street. It's a swanky place where people come to forget their troubles and find happiness for a few measly dollars."

"Oh ho." Henri rubbed his chin. "I like self-made men. I find that kind of resilience charming." He slapped Roman's shoulder and winked. "Maybe I'll come by and find some happiness too?" He said winking.

"I'd be delighted if you did." Roman gave him a knowing smile.

Their coded conversation was lost upon Jaune who was too busy trying not to embarrass himself in front of Neo. "Thank you for coming." The words tumbled out of Jaune's mouth. Neo covered her mouth and snickered. Jaune's cheeks turned red. He had never seen anyone as pretty as Neo before. She was petite and doll-like. Her silky hair was dyed pink in the front and left naturally brown in the back. She had tied her hair into a bun and let a few loose strands caress her delicate cheeks. Her cheeks were rosy and blissful. Her soft lips the same color as her cheeks. She had a cute button nose and long thin eyelashes. Her eyes were different colors but it did not distract from her beauty rather it heightened it. She was wearing an exquisite knee length pink dress that captured her radiance and brown opera gloves with pink tips. Her white bead bracelet around her right wrist and a brown and white alternating necklace were gifts given to her by Roman for her 16th birthday while her small brown earing that adorned both earlobes were given to her on her 18th birthday. Her pristine pink slippers were unblemished and appeared brand new.

Roman and Neo bade the Arcs farewell and went over to greet the Schnees.

"Big brother, you're the worst!" The youngest sister snapped, clearly disappointed in the amount of attention he gave to Neo. "You're engaged and yet you're thinking about other woman!"

"Stop it, Rose!" Jaune straightened his tie. "It's not like that. I was just thinking that she looked nice and so does Weiss."

"Hmm?" Mary didn't seem convinced. "I don't know you were looking at her kind of funny."

"I look at all pretty girls that way." Jaune tried his best to mimic the same reaction he had to Neo's beauty while staring at Weiss. His sisters exchanged glances and shrugged their shoulders. They decided to let their brother off the hook this time but next time he would be in for an earful.

Roman offered the same congratulatory remarks to Weiss and her parents on behalf of himself and Neo. Weiss's sister, Winter, and her husband were not at the party because they were out of the Kingdom on a business trip. Neo signed something for Roman to interpret.

"She says you are very pretty Ms. Schnee." Roman relayed. Weiss was unaffected by the compliment but appreciated it.

"Tell her that I think she is very pretty as well." She gently smiled at Neo.

Roman passed on the message through sign language. Neo signed _thank you_ to Weiss.

"She says thank you."

"I don't believe I've seen you around before. Who are you?" Asked Mr. Schnee.

"Roman Torchwick, I'm an entrepreneur. I own a small business not too far from here."

"Oh, so you're one of them then?"

Walter snobbishness irked Roman but he calmly responded, "I beg your pardon but what do you mean by that, Mr. Schnee?"

"Just because you have lots of money now you honestly think that you are equal to someone like me or Henri. Your kind pollutes our esteemed peerage with dirty money and you understand nothing of how high society functions. My Weiss will be marrying into the Arcs a noble family with a long history of military service to Vale. I'd sooner die than see her marry someone like you who thinks he's one of us after making a few quick bucks."

Roman gritted his teeth but chose not to engage Walter. If he started any trouble he would look like the bad guy. Roman and Neo bid farewell to Weiss and Mr. and Mrs. Schnee. Weiss felt ashamed to hear her father say such things straight to Roman's face. How dare he talk about equality and dirty money when he accepted bribes and handed out favors to his friends in politics. Roman and Neo mingled with the other guests of the party exchanging laughter and toasts. Jaune couldn't help but gaze at Neo from afar. She would occasionally look in his direction and smile. Every time she did so Jaune's cheeks would ripen. At around 11:00, Jaune was finally freed from having to receive guests as was able to traverse the party by himself. His sisters had retired upstairs and gone to bed giving him the opportunity to approach Neo without being scolded for it. He tapped Neo on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned around and saw it was Jaune.

"Um Neapolitan, was it?"

Neo nodded to confirm he was correct.

"Would you care to join me for a dance? I would ask my fiancé but she seems to be preoccupied at the moment." Weiss and her parents were still greeting guests. Neo enthusiastically accepted. She closed her parasol and handed it to Roman for safekeeping. Jaune and Neo joined a few other guests in the middle of the ballroom and began to move in time to the music. They danced for what seemed like an hour before Weiss cut in. Neo waved, thanking him for dancing with her, and then returned to her uncle's side.

"She's very pretty." Weiss remarked as she took his hands and started dancing with him to the up-tempo beat of the band. "I can see why you fell in love with her."

"W…what are you talking about?" Jaune stuttered. Weiss's comment, although true, caught him off-guard.

"I saw you two exchanging glances the entire night." She revealed. "Don't worry I'm not angry. It's very obvious between us that we don't want to get married however we cannot go against our parents' wishes." Jaune felt the similarly. He recognized his duty as the only son of the Arc family but at the same time he did not wish to marry Weiss. It wasn't that he found her unappealing it was he did not love her like he loved Neo. It was expected that Jaune and Weiss would produce a son or daughter to carry on the family line. So long as they did that they were free to lead their own independent sexual lives. In reality a lot of marriage partners were unfaithful to each other but it wasn't something you brought up to your spouse or in public even if it was blatantly obvious that cheating was occurring. The band concluded its performance and received an ovation from the dancers.

"Mr. Arc, Ms. Schnee." The two turned and saw Roman with Neo.

"We had a spectacular time tonight however we must return home and prepare for tomorrow's anticipated crowd at my establishment."

"It was a pleasure meeting both of you." Jaune told them.

"We are glad you were able to attend." Weiss said on behalf of her and Jaune. The four exchanged handshakes before going their separate ways. Neo looked over her shoulder as she was leaving and smiled. Roman took a fresh cigar out his left interior pocket and his lighter from his left pants pocket. The lighter had a miniature guillotine built into the design so that you could cut and light the cigar using one tool rather than carrying a pocket knife and lighter or biting off the end of the cigar like a thug and then lighting it. He expertly cut off the end of the cigar exposing the compressed tobacco inside and lit it. He took a long inhale of the cigar and then exhaled expelling a plume of smoke. Once they reached the car he helped Neo back into the vehicle and then went around to the other side and got in the driver's seat. He retrieved the keys from his pocket and started the car. "So did you have fun?" He asked his niece.

 _I had a great time_. She signed. _That Arc boy is really cute. It's too bad he's getting married to that snobby rich girl otherwise I would take him for myself. Just kidding._ She winked and stuck out her tongue playfully. Roman ruffled her hair in response. "Slow down kiddo. It'll be a hundred years before I let any man marry my sweet little niece." He joked. The roar of the party faded into the distance as Roman and Neo drove further and further away back home.

AN:

\- Roman doesn't have his cane because in my story it's not an integral part of his character and even if I did include it, it wouldn't function as anything except a cane (meaning it wouldn't have a hidden blade or double as a gun)

\- Ford was the most popular make of car during the 1920s so that's what everyone will be driving although the colors will differ

\- Collector of the Port of New York was a federal officer who was (the position was abolished in 1966) in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at the Port of New York. I thought it might be a good job was a stuck up rich asshole like Mr. Schnee

\- My goal is to make this sound a little bit like _The Great Gatsby_ which I used as a point of reference for the time period and plot of the story

\- I would like to apologize if anything sounds repetitive. I try my hardest to not use the same word or term over and over but there are not many acceptable synonyms for what I want to convey

\- In case you're interested I imagine Jaune, Neo, and Weiss are 20-25, Roman is 30-35, and the parents are 50-55. I know in the earlier version of the story I put specific ages but I realized that it doesn't really matter as long as the characters are approximately around their canon ages.


	2. Chapter 2

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 2

The next afternoon Jaune asked permission to borrow the family's yellow Ford so that he could take Weiss to the botanic gardens. His parents agreed so long as he returned before dusk (to discourage illicit behaviors that may occur in the dark). Jaune pulled into the circular driveway and exited the vehicle. He rang the doorbell prompting a servant to open the door.

"Mr. Arc, to what do I owe the unexpected visit?"

"I was wondering if I may take my fiancée on a ride into to the countryside?"

"You'd have to ask Master Schnee however he is occupied with work related matters at the moment."

"Nonsense." A woman's voice overruled the servant.

"Mistress Schnee." The servant bowed.

"Ma'am." Jaune removed his grey Irish cap. Jaune was dressed casually in a cotton maroon vest, white dress shirt and navy tie. His brown knickerbockers came to just below his kneecap revealing his light brown socks. The brown loafers on his feet had seen some use but were far from worn out. Considering the time period he appeared very stylish.

"I'll tell Walter that they went out a short holiday to the countryside and will be back before dusk" (again to discourage illicit activities). "I'll fetch Weiss and tell her to get ready. That girl could sleep through a thunderstorm, I swear." Mrs. Schnee left to wake Weiss from her slumber. Jaune eyed the grandfather clock in the foyer. It was 12:30. After a long battle between Weiss and her mother to wake her she finally got dressed and headed downstairs. She was wearing a white floppy hat with a long light blue ribbon that overflowed beyond the brim behind her head, a modest, white dress with a high neckline that hid her skin and sleeves that covered up to her wrists, a light blue sash across the waist of the dress formed a large bow in the back. On her feet were brand new white heels.

"You look as beautiful as the fresh fallen snow." Jaune complimented.

Weiss forced a smile. "You're too kind, my darling."

Jaune offered Weiss his arm and the two went outside. He helped Weiss into the Benz and then started the engine. The car hiccupped and then moseyed down the driveway and into the street.

" _You look as beautiful as the fresh fallen snow_." Weiss mocked Jaune. "Ugh! Why do all men think they're Shakespeare?"

"Sorry, I kind of said it without thinking." Jaune kept his eyes on the road as he spoke to Weiss. "At least it fooled your mother."

"I guess." Weiss crossed her arms. "So where is it that you wanted to take me?" Weiss asked as they putted along the paved street.

"That place Mr. Torchwick owns. If I go there I'll surely run into Neo as well."

"I had a feeling we weren't going to the botanic gardens." Weiss sighed.

Jaune remembered that it was located on Hubbard Street, which was relatively close to where he and Weiss lived. It was within walking distance however it would take you 20 minutes by foot so driving was faster and easier. He navigated through the narrow city streets filled with other cars, people, and merchant carts. He and Weiss arrived outside the _Round Robin_ and parked along the street. Jaune helped Weiss exit the car and the two of them examined the outside. It was a one-story brick building between two housing units that were much larger than the speakeasy. A neon sign with the name of the establishment in cursive lettering hung from the center of the roof. Since it was the middle of the day the sign wasn't on but at night it gave off a pleasant red glow. The windows had iron bars placed over them and the door leading into the speakeasy was made of reinforced steel. Multiple bullet holes and patches of grey cement decorated the reddish-brown exterior of the speakeasy. A lot of noise could be hared coming from inside the building. Jaune approached the door cautiously and knocked on it. A man on the other side of the door opened a slit and upon seeing who it was unlocked the door and let them in. Once Jaune and Weiss entered he closed the door, relocked it, and stood at attention near the entrance. The man has slicked back brown hair and was wearing a three-piece suit. There was a noticeable bulge on the right side of his chest.

"Welcome!" Roman greeted from behind the bar. He was wearing a white apron over his black bartender uniform. "Mr. Arc, Ms. Schnee, What brings you to my establishment today? Come sit." He motioned for them to join him at the bar. Neo and three other young girls had on the same barmaid uniform. It had poufy sleeves, a coffee colored low cut vest exposing a gratuitous amount of cleavage. The length of the emerald skirt was a bit tactless but not enough to expose their panties. Each girl had a small apron tied around the front of the skirt that had a pocket to keep a pad of paper and pen to take orders. Weiss had to pinch Jaune's cheek to keep him from staring too long and to divert his attention back to Roman.

"This is a nice place you have here." Jaune placed his Irish cap in front of him on the bar. Weiss kept her hat on.

"You like it? It was a dive before I renovated the interior." Roman explained. "The guy I bought it from closed up shop after Prohibition was enacted and let the building collect dust."

"Forgive me if this is a stupid question but aren't most speakeasy a little more discreet?" Weiss questioned.

"When I first started out I had to keep everything hush-hush but once I acquired enough money to buy off the police I could be a bit more open about serving liquor. They don't care so long as drunks don't wander out of here and cause trouble. So what can I get the two of you?"

"Just water." Weiss told Roman. He frowned. "Come on, you're not serious, are you? Get something with a little more pep in it."

"With lemon then." Weiss added. Roman rolled his eyes.

"And for you, Mr. Arc?"

"House special on the rocks."

"Now that's what I like to hear." Roman slapped Jaune on the shoulder causing him to wince. He took out two short glasses; he filled both with ice, poured each of them their drink and placed on lemon wedge on the rim of Weiss's glass. Weiss and Jaune thanked Roman and then had a sip of their drink.

Jaune shuddered and puckered his lips. "Wow that's really strong." His response piqued Weiss's interest.

"Really, let me try." She took a sip. She smacked her lips and mused over the flavor of the liquor. "It's a little bitter for my taste but it's not too bad." She took another, longer sip of Jaune's drink. Jaune glanced over his shoulder at Neo who was clearing the glasses of four police officers. They put their caps back on and headed to the door.

"Thank you boys. Keep up the good work." Roman told them as they were about to leave. They all acknowledged Roman with a wave and left presumably to go back to the station or walk their beats. "Cops are only human after all. Even they can't resist the temptation of a drink." He said as he took a clean rag from the pocket of his apron and began drying the inside of a glass he carefully picked up with his right hand. Neo opened the flap in the bar with one hand while the other one held her tray with four glasses on it. She walked behind the bar and Roman who stepped closer to the give her more room to get by.

"Just put them in the sink." He instructed. Neo nodded in compliance. She smiled making eye contact with Jaune as she passed by on her way to the kitchen area in the back. Roman noticed the dopey look on Jaune's face as he watched her disappear into the kitchen and cracked a small grin.

"So you got the hots for my niece or something like that?"

Jaune spurted his drink to the side away from Weiss and coughed. Weiss alternated between gently patting and rubbing his back.

"No." Jaune defiantly stated once he stopped coughing.

"Aw come on." Roman egged. "I've seen plenty of guys in here eye her that way before however," Roman reached down and pulled out a loaded M1921 Thompson submachine gun from behind the bar. "don't you think it's a bit rude to drag your fiancée to some sleazy bar to look at other women." Roman devilishly smiled at Jaune pointing the weapon at his chest. Jaune gulped as sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

"I'm kidding." Roman took his hand off of the forward grip and pointed the weapon upwards. "I'm a little surprised you're okay with this though, Miss Schnee. If I were you I would have slapped him silly."

"It doesn't really matter to me." Weiss said disinterested. She circled the rim of her glass with her pointer finger. "As long as our parents don't find out we can do whatever we want." All of a sudden the roar of a car passing by at high speed was heard and then a deafening boom and crunching sound of broken glass disrupted the conversations of the guests inside.

"Shit." Roman cursed under his breath. The man standing at the door quickly withdrew his handgun from his shoulder holster and hesitated for a few seconds before unlocking the door and opening it. He surveyed the scene outside the bar before calling for Roman to join him outside to inspect the damage. A crowd of people gathered to see what caused the sound of the explosion. Roman put the Thompson back underneath the bar and hurried outside.

"Another dynamite attack." The man said to Roman. "Thankfully the damage is minimal like always and we can smooth over the brick with concrete. The bars helped protect the window frame however the force of the explosion caused the glass to shatter so the window will have to be replaced."

"Damn them." Roman looked in the direction the car had sped off in. Some police officers in the area arrived and shooed the rubberneckers away from the _Round Robin_. The reason Roman had put bars on the windows and changed the door from wood to steel was because of attacks like this. After giving a statement to the police regarding the attack, Roman and the man went back inside. The man locked the door behind them and the guests went back to their conversations and drinking. Neo stood behind the bar waiting for Roman to return. _It's fine, nothing bad happened._ He signed as he walked towards her.

 _Thank God._ She responded.

"Sorry about that." Roman apologized to Jaune and Weiss. "At first it was drive-bys with tommy guns and now they try and lob a stick of dynamite into the bar to blow the place sky-high." He shook his head in disgust. 'I'll ask Merc the next time he stops by if he could send some guys over to fix this.' Roman made a mental note so he wouldn't forget. Mercury Black, or Merc for short, was the capo within the White Fang that was in charge of liquor distribution and illegal gambling. He would come by weekly on a Thursday after the bar closed to collect the money earned by the _Round Robin_ and bring it back to the White Fang's headquarters. Roman received hefty compensation from the White Fang since his speakeasy was one of their largest liquor-based enterprises in Vale and because the leader of the White Fang and Roman were on good terms. The White Fang was the largest syndicate in Vale. Their name was always on the front page of the newspaper for some reason or another. Lately the media was covering the war between the White Fang and Xiao Long Family, another large syndicate in Vale. The body count and property damage racked up between the two organizations was steadily increasing everyday. If Jaune was smart he would have realized the attack was some kind of divine intervention trying to separate him and Neo so that he wouldn't get caught up in the violence between the two organizations however Jaune wasn't a very bright person. To him Neo was someone worth risking his life for. Running away wasn't an option.

"Would it be alright if I came by here every so often?" Jaune wondered.

"Sure!" Roman ecstatically replied. "And I think Neo would enjoy your company as well." He looked slyly at his niece who averted her eyes, frowned and blushed. "Oh, of course you are also welcome here Ms. Schnee." Roman quickly added.

"Thanks for the invitation however I think I'll pass." Weiss politely declined.

"Roman!" The cheerful greeting caused Jaune and Weiss to turn around in their seats to see who it was. A young man wearing a grey business suit, grey fedora with black band, and slick black dress shoes accompanied by two burly bodyguards dressed in the same attire approached the bar. "I saw what happened outside." The man clicked his tongue and wagged his finger from side to side. "Awful just awful. Rest assured La Signora will deal with this appropriately." He vowed.

"It's just a little scratch." Roman tried to talk the man down. "All I want is the building repaired. There's no need to take drastic measures."

The man frowned but then smiled. "Yes, yes I'll take care of the repairs. La Signora and myself appreciate all that you do for us so we won't cause any trouble for you." He promised. "Oh my how rude of me." He took off his fedora. "I didn't see you were entertaining guests."

"Jaune, Weiss, this is Mercury Black. He acts as a liaison between the people who supply the liquor and myself." Roman explained.

"How do you do?" Jaune extended his hand for Mercury to shake. After shaking his hand he shook Weiss's hand as well.

"I hope you are enjoying yourselves."

"We are." Weiss wrapped her arms around Jaune's left arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "My fiancé was taking me out for a drink to celebrate our engagement." Given how Roman had playfully threatened Jaune about coming to see Neo, Weiss didn't want to take her chances with an actual mobster if he discovered the actual reason Jaune came to the bar.

"I see." Mercury placed his fedora back on his head. "It's rare to see a young couple such as yourselves here. I apologize for the attire of the waitresses but it's good for business."

"Don't worry about it." Weiss skirted the issue. "However," She reached up and tugged on Jaune's cheek. "He does like to let his eyes wander and that's a problem." She said sweetly.

"Ouch ouch ouch." Jaune struggled but Weiss refused to let go.

"Ha ha." Mercury laughed. "You better keep him on a short leash then." He teased.

"I have other errands to run so I'll be on my way." He bid farewell to Jaune, Weiss, and Roman. The two burly bodyguards followed Mercury outside. They all got into the back of a stylish black Rolls Royce and drove away.

"You have some interesting friends." Weiss said taking a sip of her drink. ""La Signora", was it? Isn't that the leader of the White Fang?" Weiss remembered the name from the newspaper articles about the White Fang. "So that means the people who attacked this place were probably from the Xiao Long Family."

"You're a smart girl." Roman praised Weiss. "Yes, I am allied with the White Fang but I dislike violence and I stick to the only thing I'm good at, bartending, so I try to stay out of the politics surrounding Vale and concentrate on my job."

"Then why do you have a bodyguard at the door and tommy gun stashed under the bar?" Jaune questioned.

"Merc, Mercury, requires that I have at least one guard by the door and makes me carry a tommy gun for protection just in case something happens. The girls here have all gone through basic weapons and hand to hand combat training including Neo for the same reason but…" Roman trailed off. "I always pray we're never hit like some other bars." Roman was referring to places that were left unrecognizable, both the building and people inside. "My girls aren't meant to be killers they're supposed to give you drinks with a smile." Roman trembled, clearly upset by the circumstances beyond his control.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jaune asked. The gesture was done more out empathy to try and cheer Roman up rather than offer actual assistance to him.

"That's really sweet of you, Jaune, but I don't want to drag you into this. In fact I couldn't forgive myself if you got caught up in anything because of me. I know I'm endangering Neo by running this bar but I'm just not cut out for an honest lifestyle." He felt a tug on his apron. Neo was looking up at him on the verge of tears. She frantically began signing but Roman was able to keep up with her speed. _What are talking about?! I love you Uncle. You're so good to me. You buy me nice presents, you tell me what a hard worker I am, and you're always there for me when I need someone to talk to. I'd follow you anywhere._ Roman suddenly hugged her as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Oh Neo." Neo buried her face into his chest and stained his apron with her tears. The two of them held each other dearly.

"So do you know what she told him?" Jaune whispered to Weiss.

"I think she told him that it was okay and that she loves him." Weiss whispered back.

"Are you sure? That was a lot of hand motions for something as simple as that."

"If you want to know so badly why don't you learn sign language then?" Weiss snapped.

"Hey that's not a bad idea." Jaune liked Weiss's suggestion. "Uh Mr. Torchwick…" He hesitated. Roman let go of Neo, patted her on the head and sent her back to the kitchen to put the glasses in the dishwasher.

"What is it, Mr. Arc?" He inquired.

"Well I was wondering if you could teach me sign language. I thought it would be nice to learn since I want to be able to talk with Neo."

"I'd be more than happy to teach you. I open the bar at noon and close around 9:00/9:30."

"I'll come in the morning. I'll tell my parents I'm going on a jog."

"Splendid. Neo!" Roman called her name. She poked her head out of the kitchen. "Write down our address and hand it to me." Neo did as she was told and handed Roman the slip of paper. Roman in turn handed it to Jaune. "There you are. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, it's not too far from where I live." Jaune told Roman. In fact he was surprised how close their houses were. The average price of houses around the area was over a million dollars so he wondered how much money Roman had. He slipped the paper into his pants pocket. Jaune looked up at the clock over the bar. It was a little past 1:30. It would start to get dark around 5:30 so Jaune had to make sure to get Weiss home before then. Jaune gulped down the last bit of his drink and placed the empty glass down on the counter. He took his leather wallet out of his pocket and put a $10 bill on the counter. "I told my parents that I was going to take her to the botanic gardens. I'd feel bad about lying to them if we didn't go."

"Yes, I understand." Roman nodded. "I really appreciate you stopping by."

Jaune grabbed his Irish cap off of the counter and put it back on his head. Neo came out of the kitchen in time to say goodbye to Jaune and Weiss.

"She says come back soon." Roman translated.

"We will." The guard opened the door for them and then closed the door behind them locking it. Jaune and Weiss hopped into the Ford and sped off towards the botanic gardens. Jaune found a good parking spot near the entrance and after paying admission for Weiss and himself the two strolled through the gardens with Weiss's hand around Jaune's right arm.

"You know if word gets out that you are hanging out with people associated with the White Fang it will cause problems not only for yourself, but also your family. You'll all become targets for the Xiao Longs." Weiss broke the silence between them.

Jaune wanted to say something in response but she was right. He was recklessly endangering himself and his family for a stupid crush.

"What I said in the bar about not caring only applied to falling in love with other women. I might not love you but I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry about it." Jaune tenderly placed his hand on Weiss's. "I promise that I won't let anything bad happen to my family, you, and I." Even Weiss wanted to doubt him his words seemed to hold an unbelievable weight that prevented her from challenging them.

"You idiot, if you make promises like that I might actually start to fall for you." She said blushing. Jaune laughed in response causing Weiss to stomp on his foot.

"Ow!"

"It's rude to laugh at a lady." Weiss scolded him. The two glared at each other, the longer they stared at each other the redder they each became.

"Let's just continue our walk." Jaune suggested, looking in the opposite direction.

"Yes." Weiss agreed, doing the same.

Jaune and Weiss spent a few more hours at the botanic gardens before the sun began to set indicating it was time to return home. Jaune made sure Weiss returned home safely and then drove back to his house. At the dinner table Mrs. Schnee asked her daughter how her date with Jaune went.

"Fine. We walked around and saw the plants." Weiss told her mother.

"That's good." Her father chimed in. "I remember I took your mother to the botanic gardens when we were about your age. They had this exhibit on plants from the Far East it was quite fascinating."

"Oh, that's interesting." Weiss commented. _I promise_ … 'Ugh!' Weiss clenched her teeth. 'Why can't I get that idiot's voice out of my head?' She lamented.

"Weiss, dear, are you feeling alright?" Her mother wondered.

"I'm fine, Mother. It's nothing really." She smiled. Little did she know but Jaune was having a similar dilemma.

'Why do I keep remembering her face?' He jabbed his chicken with his fork and starting cutting a piece to eat. 'She looked so cute. Gah! I can't stand it!' He aggressively chewed his food.

"Um Jaune, honey, is there something bothering you?" His mother asked. Suddenly realizing what he must look like he straightened his face and waved his hands back and forth.

"No no no. I just… uh… upset because I overheard that the Giants lost today as Weiss and I were walking through the botanic gardens. They're neck and neck with the Cardinals for the pennant so I'm a little tense is all."

"I was listening to the game on the radio. It was a catastrophe." His father sighed. "12 runs in the bottom of the third and a final score of 22-6."

Thankfully his white lie was enough to convince his parents but the nagging feeling in their chests persisted until they got ready to go to sleep.

"Maybe I am falling in love with him (her)." They both thought sitting up in their beds. They both snickered and dismissed the crazy notion. As they lied down on their fluffy pillows their worries melted away and they quickly fell asleep.

AN:

\- _Round Robin_ was chosen at random. I think's a nice name for a hole-in-the-wall type place

\- The gang violence will not be addressed in gruesome detail but characters may end up injured or traumatized by it (I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead)

\- As I said in the AN for Chapter 1 I'm trying to invoke some similarity between my story and _The Great Gatsby._ I feel as though I'm doing a good job but that is up to you to decide

\- The Giants are the New York Giants who were part of the National League from 1883 to 1957 before they moved to San Francisco and become the San Francisco Giants, the Cardinals are the St. Louis Cardinals who are still in their original city since 1882 (Even though this is Vale, American baseball is part of the storyline to add flavor to the time period)

\- Although you may want to strangle me for adding in the little interaction between Jaune and Weiss at the end because this is supposed to be a JaunexNeo fic, please find it in your heart to forgive me. I think it's actually beneficial because it makes the story more complex I can write more than just focusing on Jaune and Neo's relationship

\- I also apologize for the length of this chapter (in case your eyes got tired or you got a headache), I couldn't find a good stopping point


	3. Chapter 3

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 3

That night Jaune had a nightmare. Neo and him were on a date at an outdoor café. The waiter had just brought out their coffees, Neo's with lots of sugar and Jaune's with cream and sugar. They were just about to take a sip of their drinks when a screeching of tires interrupted them immediately followed by the sound of an M1921 Thompson being fired. Jaune threw up his left arm and right hand to shield his face, dove to the ground as quickly as possible and closed his eyes. People's screams were mixed with the shattering of teacups and pangs of forks and knives hitting the ground. The shooter methodically peppered the café with 2 bursts of semi-automatic gunfire each lasting three seconds in duration, exhausting the magazine after the second burst. Once the shooting stopped the black Ford sped away, its squealing tires and roaring engine fading into the distance the further away the car became. Jaune felt something warm and viscous brush against his hand. At first he thought it was the spilled coffee but when he opened his eyes he saw the liquid was red and a puddle of it was surrounding Neo. He saw her lips quivering, her skin was pale and her face was contorted in pain. "No." Jaune trembled, wide-eyed. He looked down at his blood-soaked hand and to Neo's feeble form. He crawled over to her. The screams of other injured patrons tormented his ears but Jaune was so focused on Neo he drowned them out. Once he reached her to gently cradled her body, resting her head against his chest. She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. _I'm sorry_ she mouthed.

"Damn it, why?" Jaune tightened his grip around her. "WHY?" He yelled, cursing his own powerlessness to do anything for her. He suddenly felt a cool hand touch his cheek. Neo was smiling. She petted his cheek then her hand slipped and fell limp. Her eyes glazed over and her lips stopped quivering.

"Neo?" He tried to rouse her by shaking her a little and calling her name. "Neo?" he called her name again but got no response. Jaune bit his lip so hard he drew blood. "DAMN IT!" He squeezed her lifeless body with all his strength. "Gah!" Jaune awoke, breathing heavily. The room was still shrouded in darkness meaning it was the early in the morning. He sat up and placed his right hand over his heart. It was beating at a frantic pace. 'What a horrifying dream.' Jaune tried to fall back asleep but the dream kept echoing in the back on his mind so he decided to read a book. Maybe he would then be lulled back into slumber. He turned on the lamp next to his bed and went over to his bookshelf and picked out _Great Expectations_ by Charles Dickens. The plan worked and he fell back asleep midway through Chapter 6 the book still clutched in his hands.

"Master Jaune? Master Jaune?" A maid shook him gently. Jaune slowly opened his eyes.

"Marie?" He noticed that the curtains were drawn back and his whole room was illuminated by sunshine. His lamp was turned off and _Great Expectations_ lay on his desk. He saw his mother standing just inside the doorway. "Marie, what time is it?"

"Half past one, Master Jaune." She responded. "I would have woken you for breakfast but, you see, you were sleeping so peacefully that I did not wish to disturb you. I took the liberty of turning of the lamp and placing the book on your desk though."

Jaune's stomach growled.

"I'd like to eat something could you please have the chef prepare something for me?" He requested. Jaune got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Of course." Marie bowed and excused herself.

Not yet fully awake, Jaune stumbled towards the bathroom. He lazily turned on the faucet and put his toothbrush under the stream of water. He turned off the faucet, unscrewed the cap, and squeezed the tube of toothpaste onto the brush. He thoroughly brushed his teeth and then rinsed his mouth out with water. He left the faucet running and splashed some cold water on his face to get rid of his sleepiness. He grabbed a nearby towel and dried his face. He set the towel down on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror and then he remembered. "Crap!" He grabbed his head, a look or unparalleled horror on his face. "The sign language lessons!" He let out a disgusted sigh. He'd have to go apologize to Roman and Neo. He left the bathroom and took off his pajamas. He neatly folded them on top of his bed. He opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of boxes and grey socks. He put them on and then opened his closet. He took a white dress shirt out and laid it on the bed. After much deliberation he decided to go with a forest green vest and grey knickerbockers. He took them out too and laid them down on his bed. He opened another drawer filled with ties and skimmed over the different colors and styles. He picked out a red tie with horizontal blue stripes. He took a pair of slip-on brown loafers from out of a shoe cubby in the closet and placed them on his feet. After he assembled his outfit Jaune left his room.

"You're finally up, sleepyhead." His youngest sister teased. She ran up to him and wrapped her hands around his waist and gave him a hug. Jaune smiled and patted her on the head. She let go and continued her way down the hall but she abruptly stopped and turned around. "Oh yeah I almost forgot, Mother said we were going to the opera this evening."

Jaune looked down at his attire. "I'll be sure to change then."

His sister giggled and merrily skipped towards her room. Jaune proceeded to the grand staircase that connected the first and second floor of the mansion.

"Good afternoon, Master Jaune." A butler dusting a portrait of Mr. Arc located on the other side of the house greeted him when he saw Jaune at the top of the staircase.

"Afternoon, Reggie." Jaune replied. "Are Mother and Father around?"

"Your mother is out back tending to the garden and your father is having tea on the veranda." Jaune's father was an Honorary Brigadier General in the Remnant Military. The title was only for pageantry and his main duties were marching in parades and being present at military ceremonies. The Arcs stopped being on active duty generations ago however the government still honored them with pseudo-ranks for their centuries of services to the nation. With little else to do, Henri Arc spent most of his time drinking tea on the veranda and reading the newspaper. Jaune could smell a wonderful aroma emanating from the dining room. He followed his nose and saw his favorite food, pheasant and cranberry sauce. Jaune sat down and quickly polished the plate. He dabbed his lips with the napkin and then headed to the veranda. A maid cleaned up after him.

"You're finally up." Henri put down the paper when he heard the door open.

"Sorry, I had a nightmare and then I couldn't fall asleep afterwards." Jaune apologized.

"No harm done." His father replied closing and folding the newspaper. He put the paper on top of the ornate glass table he was sitting at. "You missed breakfast though, did you have the chefs make you something to eat?"

"Yes." Jaune promptly answered.

"Good. Your mother is over by the hydrangea bushes." Henri told his son. Jaune thanked his father for the information and went to see his mother. As he passed by his father he got a glimpse of the headline on the front page, Rumors Fly Over Bribery Scandal. Walter Schnee was a notorious part of the political machine that ran Vale but because they were all friends they washed each other's backs so to speak so no one was ever indicted. Jaune found his mother exactly where his father said she was, taking care of her prized hydrangea bushes. Technically every plant in the Arc garden was "prized" in Lady Arc's eyes. She devoted herself fully to maintaining the garden and keeping it in pristine condition.

"Mother?"

"Oh, Jaune! You're finally awake." Mrs. Arc was wearing baggy brown pants caked with mud, although you couldn't really tell because the mud blended in with the color of the pants, a white apron also caked with mud but not as much as her pants, white gardening gloves, and a white bandana tied around her head to keep her hair out of her eyes as well as prevent the sweat from her forehead from running down her face. Next to her was a pair of hedge clippers. "Well, doesn't our garden look simply splendid?"

"It does." Jaune surveyed the garden. Everything was healthy and green, not a dead plant in sight.

"I asked your sister to remind you that we are going to opera this evening; did you see her?"

"Yes, she passed along that to me when I woke up."

"Did you have any plans today?" His mother inquired.

"Not really. I think I will finish the book I was reading last night. Maybe I'll go for a jog later?" Of course this was a ruse to hide his true plan of going to the _Round Robin_ to apologize to Roman and Neo.

"Oh that sounds splendid." Mrs. Arc was very fond of using the adjective "splendid" to describe things. It was like her own little unique speech quirk. "I'll have Marie fetch you when it's time to go. Also please make sure to change into something a bit more appropriate."

"You too, Mother. I hope you weren't planning on going to opera like that." Jaune quipped.

"I suppose I should change clothing before going out, shouldn't I?" His mother daintily laughed. Jaune bid his mother and father farewell and went back up to his room. He closed the door behind him. He took his wallet off of the dresser near the door and put it in his front pants pocket. He went over to the window and unlocked it. The window was large enough so that he could fit through it. Next to the window was a drainpipe that could be used as a makeshift pole to climb down. Jaune carefully climbed down the drainpipe and slipped outside the mansion's gates without being detected. Jaune figured he had about three hours before Marie would come get him so he had to be quick. Jaune covered the distance between his house and the bar faster than anticipated. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. 'Okay you're here to apologize for not showing up this morning. You can do this.' He encouraged himself. Just then the guard unlocked the heavy steel door and opened it to let him in. Once inside the guard then shut the door and relocked it.

"Welcome!" Roman enthusiastically greeted. "My, my if it isn't Jaune Arc. How can I help you?"

Jaune went up to the bar and had a seat. "I wanted to apologize to you and Neo, is she here?"

"Apologize, hmm?" Roman eyed the youth skeptically. "And what might this apology entail?"

"I had a nightmare last night and it caused me to oversleep this morning so I missed the sign language lesson you were going to give me."

"Oh that." Roman clapped his hands together. "It's not a big deal to me, Neo on the other hand…" As Neo was coming out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks she saw Jaune sitting at the bar and frowned. She turned her head up in a haughty way and passed by him without acknowledgement of his presence. She finished passing out the drinks to the customers and then returned behind the bar. She tucked the serving tray under her right arm and with her other hand pulled down her eyelid with her pointer finger and stuck her tongue out before continuing on back to the kitchen. "She's a little hurt that you didn't show up."

'Right, a little.' Jaune thought. Neo came back out, tray-less this time, and began conversing with Roman.

 _What's he doing here, Uncle?_ She demanded.

 _Now, now. He's come here to apologize for this morning._

 _Tell him I'm not interested and that he should never bother showing his face around her again._

 _Neo,_ Roman gave her a stern look. _You're being childish. He had a nightmare last night and it caused him to oversleep._

Neo looked at Jaune. True she was being very childish about the whole thing but she was a very stubborn girl so she refused to forgive him then and there. _I'll forgive him if he tells me what the nightmare was about._

"She says she'll forgive you if you tell her what the nightmare was about." Roman informed Jaune. "She also said she's madly in love with you and she wants to get married… OW!" Roman shouted as a red-faced Neo pressed down hard on his foot with her own foot. "Joke! I'm joking! OW! OW! OW! Neo, you're crushing the bone! AH HA!" Roman howled. Neo relented and shook her head vigorously from side to side but her blush gave away her true feelings. Jaune laughed and assured Neo that he knew that Roman was joking. She told her uncle she was going to the restroom and left. "She's a good girl but she can be a bit stubborn at times." Roman reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle of scotch and a glass. He poured himself a drink. "She takes after her father in that way." Roman touched the edge of the glass to his lips and took a small drink. He set the glass back down on the bar. "Forget I said that." Roman quickly corrected himself.

"Actually if I may ask what happened to her parents?" Jaune asked. He folded his arms and rested them on the bar. "Are they…?"

"Dead? No, they're still alive." Roman took another drink, a longer one this time. "When she was a kid they went through a really nasty divorce and because neither one of them was deemed to be a fit parent to take care of her the court's appointed me as her legal guardian. It's pretty screwed up when you give a kid to a single guy who's connected to the mob because it's a better alternative than staying with either of her parents. "You have a lot of siblings, right?"

"Seven, all girls." Jaune chuckled. "My older sisters would put me in a dress and then we'd have tea parties. My parents thought it was adorable."

Just as Roman was about to respond Neo emerged from the back into a knee length lime green sleeveless dress that clung to her petite figure. She had also let her hair down from the ponytail she usually kept it in. She scribbled on a notepad she was carrying and then showed it to Jaune. **It's a little stuffy in here so let's go outside to talk** Jaune nodded. Neo went on the other side of the bar and joined Jaune. He offered her his arm, which she took and the two of them walked arm in arm towards the entrance of the bar.

"Have fun you two." Roman called out to them as they exited the _Round Robin_. The guard let them both out and closed the door behind them once they were outside.

Jaune took Neo to a nearby park and the two of them sat down on bench next to each other. Despite being the afternoon the park wasn't crowded. There were more pigeons than people however this benefitted Jaune since it would have caused him trouble if someone he knew saw him with another woman after his engagement to Weiss. He felt a tug on his sleeve. Jaune looked at Neo and saw her holding up the notepad for him to read. **So what was this scary nightmare that caused you to oversleep?**

"It was…" Jaune hesitated. He couldn't tell her what his nightmare was about. What would she say in response if he told her the truth however if he didn't tell her the truth she would probably become even angrier with him and possibly never forgive him.

Neo flipped to a fresh page. **Well?**

"Promise you won't think it's ridiculous?"

Neo nodded. Jaune brought his hands together and interlocked his fingers and slouched forward, focusing straight ahead rather than facing Neo.

"I had a dream where we were on a date and then you're killed in a drive by shooting." He felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned his head to read what Neo wrote. **You were just shocked to find out my uncle in part of the mob. There's no way that will ever happen. You're overthinking things.**

"I guess you're right." Jaune felt a bit more at ease. The chances of that actually happening were very slim. 'I do want to go on dates with her but where can we go that's safe and where we won't be spotted?' As Jaune was pondering about this he felt another tug on his sleeve.

 **If you just come by the house for sign language lesson and by the bar every so often that's enough for me.** She flipped to a new page and after writing down her next thought she showed it to Jaune. **You can't be seen with me in public or else it will cause problems.**

"I see. So that's how you feel. As long as you're okay with only seeing me an hour or so each day then I am too." Neo placed her hand on top of his sweetly smiled. "Shall we go back then? I don't want to keep you from your work any longer."

 **Yes and I forgive you this time but don't be late tomorrow**

"Same time?"

 **Same time** The two of them walked back to the _Round Robin_ arm in arm. Outside the door Jaune bid Neo farewell. "I have to leave but tell your uncle I'll stop by again soon." Neo nodded and the two waved goodbye to each other. The guard let Neo back in. She went behind the bar into the bathroom and changed back into her barmaid uniform and returned to work.

"So how did your date go?" Roman asked, curious.

 _Good. I told him I forgave him and we set up another lesson for tomorrow morning._ Neo replied.

"Good." Roman grinned. "I look forward to tomorrow morning." Jaune walked back home and snuck back into his room undetected. He picked up _Great Expectations_ and laid down his bed. He read the book until Marie came to fetch him. He changed into a black suit and joined his parents and little sister in the foyer. They all got into the family's yellow Ford and drove to the opera house. The valet parked the car for them and they headed inside. Most of the people there were older married couples but there were a few children Jaune's age and younger. The Schnees were not there because they had other plans that evening which made Jaune feel relieved since he didn't have to put on a façade in front of all these people pretending they were in love with each other. Despite his apathy towards her he was still having some mixed feelings about her "teasing" him in the botanic gardens. Various people approach Jaune and his parents and offered their congratulations. Some of them were at the engagement party and commented about how lovely it was but Jaune just thought they were putting on airs to try and be polite. The Arcs found their box on the mezzanine level to the right of the stage and took their seats. A few minutes later the curtain rose and the opera began. After the performance was over and the actors took their final bows the Arcs returned home and got ready to go to sleep. Henri had Mary and Rose in his arms, both had fallen asleep in car on the way back home. He carried them upstairs and tucked them in. Jaune said goodnight to his mother and father and retired to his bedroom. He fell on top of his bed; tomorrow he would start the sign language lessons with Roman and Neo. He smiled, thinking of the morning ahead and drifted off to sleep.

AN:

\- There are no Author's Notes this Chapter. Thank you for supporting the story


	4. Chapter 4

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 4

That same day Walter Schnee was expecting a large shipment of goods to arrive at the harbor. Weiss begged her father to let herself accompany him to the harbor. Lounging around the vast Schnee Mansion grew quite boring after about an hour, so whenever an opportunity presented itself to allow Weiss access outside the mansion she pounced on it.

"Please, Father?" Weiss begged, placing her hands together in a pleading fashion. Walter crossed his arms and let out a low growl. "Very well." He gave her permission. "But," he quickly interjected before Weiss had time to form a smile. "You must promise to mind your manners and not step out of line."

"Of course." Weiss raised her right hand as if swearing an oath. "I will not cause any mischief."

Walter nodded and on his way out the door a servant handed him a tan bowler hat, which he put on before stepping out the door. Another servant produced Weiss's white sun hat she wore on her date with Jaune a day earlier. She was also wearing the same conservative dress that she did on her date with Jaune (although this was a new, clean one not the same dress). Their driver pulled the white Chrysler around the front and got out to open the rear door for Walter and Weiss. They stepped into the car and then the driver closed the door behind them and returned behind the wheel and drove off towards the docks. After showing his identification to the guard at the dock's entrance, the driver drove further into the dock and stopped just outside the area where some sailors were unloading cargo with a crane from a massive steam ship.

"Ahoy, Walter." An older gentleman who Weiss assumed to be the captain of the ship based on his age and dress approached Walter and his daughter.

"Why hello, Peter." Walter greeted. "What are you bringing in today?"

"Mostly mechanical equipment but also a few things on behalf of the White Fang." He added in a whisper. "Will this cover it?" Peter reached into his pocket and took out a fat roll of cash. Walter glanced to the left and right before accepting the money. "Mechanical equipment, splendid. I'll be sure to document it properly once I return home." Weiss's blood boiled. She couldn't believe the audacity of her father to accept a bribe in broad daylight. She was about to turn away and march indignantly back to the car when she saw him. He was unhooking the crane from the large wooden container and then pushing the container on a trolley to a waiting truck. He was tall and handsome. His bronze skin glistened with sweat and his fierce light blue hair were truly breathtaking however what caught Weiss's attention was his Adonis-like figure. He had rippling muscles that almost seemed to burst out of his short sleeved shirt. She felt her face grow hot and rush of passion consumed her. She placed her hand over her chest to try and steady her rapid breathing. Walter and Peter were too busy with their own conversation to pay attention to Weiss. She took this as an opportunity to get close to the sailor. As he was walking back to unhook another piece of cargo Weiss intentionally tripped over her own feet. "Whoa!"

Luckily the sailor heard her and turned around in time to catch her by the shoulders.

"Are you okay, Miss?" He asked her.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry about that I seem to have tripped. Thank you for catching me."

"No problem but you really shouldn't be wandering around here it's dangerous." He warned her, releasing his grip from her shoulders.

"Well you see I've never been outside my house before so all this is so interesting to me." Weiss lied. It was all part of her plan to cozy up to the sailor. "My mother and father are very strict with me. I'm only allowed to attend parties that are held at the house and I'm constantly bombarded by men more than twice my age. I'm afraid I haven't seen someone as charming as you in a long time." Weiss snaked her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him.

"Uh…" The sailor was paralyzed he didn't know what to do or say.

"Please forgive me." Weiss pleaded in a demure way. "I'm not familiar with what love feels like but I think I may be…" The sailor could feel feel Weiss's hot breaths on his neck. "This feeling inside me... I just…" Weiss let out a low, sensual moan. "I want to have you." She teased his earlobe with her tongue. The sailor then placed his hands on her cheeks and gave in to his carnal desires and aggressively kissed her. His tongue and hers whirled around in a typhoon of passion. They broke for a moment, both of them breathing heavily. They were about to kiss again when Weiss heard her father calling out her name.

"I have to go but it was nice to meet you." Weiss straightened her hat before heading back. The sailor opened his mouth to say something but then closed it words couldn't capture what he wanted to tell her.

"There you are. Where did you go?" Walter questioned.

"One of the sailors was showing me the ship and explaining how unloading works it was very enlightening." She told her father.

Walter gave her a skeptical look but didn't ask any further questions. "See you again, Peter." Walter bade farewell to the captain.

"Always a pleasure, Walter." The captain responded.

"Where the hell were you?" The foreman who was visibly livid, demanded.

"I… uh got held up by Mr. Schnee's daughter she almost tripped while exploring the docks, I sent her back on her way though."

The foreman clicked his tongue. "Whatever, just get back to work."

"Yes sir." The sailor replied.

Later that night Weiss heard a tapping on her window. It was louder than rain drops too organized to be an animal scurrying past. Curious, she drew back the curtain and came face to face with the sailor from earlier. Weiss suppressed a scream from shock and then opened up the window. "What are you doing here?" She said softly so she wouldn't wake anyone else.

"I had to see you again. I can't stop thinking about you."

To be honest Weiss had only been half serious when she was flirting with the sailor. She did it more so out of spur of the moment thing rather than because she actually fell in love with the sailor. She didn't appreciate this surprise visit but figured it would be rude to turn him away after he travelled all the way to the mansion. She motioned for him to come inside. The sailor hopped off the drain pipe and came inside. He noticed that Weiss was wearing a blue-gray nightgown with short sleeves that almost left nothing to the imagination. Her hair was let down behind her and because she wasn't wearing anything underneath it her adorable figure was concealed only by the material of the gown.

"That stuff you said earlier did you mean all of that?"

"Well I…" Weiss blushed. She couldn't confirm her feelings of lust for him but at the same time she couldn't deny her urge to want to sleep with him either. "It's just I've been going through a lot lately and I have been feeling vulnerable and then I saw you and…" He cut her off with a heavy kiss. He placed one hand in the small of her back and the other behind her head. He gently glided his finger through her silky hair as he attacked her lips. Weiss was overcome by her desires and let herself melt into his kiss and returned it in favor. She draped her hands around his upper back and lifted up her left leg and wrapped it around his lower back. He took his hand off her back and placed it under her butt. He scooped her up and brought her over to her bed and laid her down. Weiss nodded as if to say "I'm ready". The sailor then teased various parts of her body to which Weiss answered with faint mews and aroused tones indicating her level of pleasure. She tried her best to keep her voice down. He then moved on to the actual sex. The groan and creaking of the bed and the grunts emanating from Weiss and her partner made a symphony of erotic sounds. Weiss couldn't hold back any longer and soiled the covers while the sailor finished inside her. After he pulled out he slumped over and fell on his side, exhausted. Weiss tried to contain her still tremoring body. "That was amazing." Weiss said through deep, lumbersome breaths. The sailor climbed on top of her and gazed into her beautiful grey eyes. "I love you Weiss Schnee."

"And I you…" Weiss paused having realized she didn't know the sailor's name.

"It's Neptune. Neptune Vasilias." The sailor gave his name.

"Neptune. What a marvelous name." She said linking her fingers behind his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

Just before he left Weiss asked him, "Will I see you again?"

"Only if you want to." He replied and slid down the drain pipe. Weiss watched him dart across the lawn and hop over the fence surrounding the mansion. She touched two fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss.

AN:

I apologize that this took so long. I want to attribute it to school but most of it was my laziness

I'm not good at writing sex scenes so if you wanted more I'm sorry but use your imagination for the rest of it

I have no plan for Chapter 5 so you may have to wait a while again before another chapter is published 


	5. Chapter 5

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 5

"Nice night, huh?" The man in the truck said to the driver. Three pickups cruised down the dirt road with their headlights off. It was a convoy of liquor for the White Fang. Hidden amongst the trees near the side of the road was a black automobile with its lights turned off. Four men sat in the vehicle patiently waiting. Once the last truck in the convoy passed the automobile, the car sprung to life and began tailing the last truck. The automobile flashed its lights at the last truck.

"What the hell?" The driver looked in his sideview mirror. "Who are these bozos?" The man in the left back seat stuck his torso out of the window gripping a Thompson. He began firing the weapon at the rear wheels of the truck.

"Shit!" The driver tried to swerve to avoid the bullets. The shooting alerted the other two drivers as well as more Xiao Long members lying in wait. Two cars emerged from the underbrush ahead of the convoy and began speeding towards the leading truck head on. The cars blared their horn and flashed their lights.

"It's a trap." The man told the driver.

"There's nowhere to go." The driver lamented.

"Run through 'em then." The man ordered. The driver obliged and picked up speed. Bright flashes came from the front of the cars bullets shattered the windshield, peppering both the driver and man. They both slumped over in their seats blood gushing from their wounds. With no one steering the truck careened off the road and end up in a grassy ditch on the right side of the road. The second truck met the same fate as the first one. The third truck slammed on its brakes. The driver frantically hopped out with his hands raised.

"No! Don't," He was greeted by a hail of bullets that tore him to shreds. The man riding shotgun was too frightened to move. He was dragged out of the truck by one of the men who was in the car following behind the trucks.

"Well, well, well, it looks like the White Fang is now having children transport their liquor." A shapely blonde woman in a suit and fedora smirked. The trembling boy couldn't have been older than 15. He was kneeling on the ground with his hands in a pleading fashion.

"Please, I only did this because my sister is sick and she needs medicine. This, this was the only way to get enough money to," He was cut off by a pistol shot to the forehead. His body collapsed to the left with blood trickling out of the circular entry hole in the middle of his forehead.

"Does it look like we give a damn why you did it?" A short, raven haired girl shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "You're part of the White Fang so that means you die."

"Ruby, how many times do I have to tell you. We need to leave one alive so that we can take them back and extort information out of them. They can't tell us shit if they're dead." The blonde woman growled at her younger sister's blunder.

"Sorry Yang." Ruby apologized. "You know how trigger happy I am."

"Whatever. We accomplished our original goal. Go see if any of the booze is salvageable." Yang ordered the grunts.

"Yes, Ma'am." They did as they were told and went to go see if the cargo was still in tact.

"WHAT?" Mercury slammed his fist down on the table causing his glass to tip over. The liquor dripped off the edge and plopped onto the rug in small droplets. "The whole shipment got knocked over?"

"Yeah, Ezio and some of the boys went to investigate when the Gino and the others failed to show up at the warehouse. They found everyone pushing up daisies and all the booze was gone.

"Those bastards must have been watching our route for a long time and then finally decided to strike." Mercury bit his thumb. "They'll pay dearly for this offense."

A group of Xiao Long gangsters were hanging out in the repair garage where their cars were serviced. All of a sudden two Vale police officers, guns drawn, entered. "Something I can do for you boys?" A man sitting behind a desk near the door asked the two officers.

"Yeah you can shut up." The shorter of the officers barked. "Now all of ya's face that wall over there."

"Oh come on…" The man reached into his pocket and withdrew a wad of cash and offered it to the officer. The officer instead shoved the man towards the wall.

"Now what's the meaning of this?" Another of the gangsters challenged.

"Up against the wall." The taller officer directed waving his gun towards the wall.

"Lousy flatfeet." He muttered under his breath.

"Hey! You on the car," The shorter officer yanked a mechanic by his collar and pushed him towards the wall. "Move."

"But I'm just a mechanic I don't," He protested.

"Move!" The officer gave him an aggressive shove that quieted the mechanic.

"Alright hands on the wall spread your legs." The taller officer instructed. The gangsters and mechanic did as they were told. The smaller officer then patted down every person and removed any firearms they had on them. The taller officer went over to the door and jerked his head towards the garage. Two White Fang members with a Thompson and double barrel shotgun in each hand entered. They stood behind the men against the wall. The gangsters gave the double barrel shotgun to the two officers. The gangsters then opened fire on the unsuspecting men splattering their blood and guts against the wall. The men fell into a heap blood leaking from their mouths and wounds. The officers then fired off two shotgun blasts into the heap of bodies to make sure the men were all dead. They disposed of the weapons in a junk pile of used car parts and then the two gangsters were led out of the garage with their hands raised by the two "officers".

"WHAT?" Taiyang roared into the receiver. What did they look like?

"According to witnesses they said they saw two White Fang members being led off by two Vale police officers after there was the sound of shooting from inside the garage."

"I want you to call the Chief of Police and get me the names of those two officers and the people they took in."

"At once, Boss." The other end went dead.

"I've had with those White Fang shitheads. I think it's time I crushed them once and for all." He placed his folded hands in front of his face so that only his fiery eyes were visible.

"So once again I do apologize for the inconvenience." Mercury sighed. "I hope you can make do with what you have on hand. It will take awhile to get more to you because we have to configure our routes so that this doesn't happen again."

"I understand. I'll try to make do." Roman informed him.

"Good. I have to go now. A Capo's work is never done I suppose."

Roman laughed. "Alright, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Roman hung up the phone and groaned.

 _What's wrong, Uncle?_ Neo asked, noting his displeasure.

 _Mercury said that the alcohol shipment was destroyed by the Xiao Longs. I don't know if I have enough liquor to last me until the end of the day._

 _Oh dear that is a problem._ Neo frowned.

"What happened?" Jaune wondered.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, just some White Fang business. How are the lessons coming along?"

 _Good_ Jaune signed. "I'm just starting to get the basics: _Hi, how are you, thank you, my name is…_ " Jaune signed some simple words and phrases.

 _He's actually doing very well_ Neo told Roman _I'm surprised at how quickly he's learning_

 _When are you going to teach him how to say..._ Roman signed something that made Neo go red in the face, puff her cheeks, and angrily shake her head side to side.

"What does that mean?" Jaune asked.

"I'll Neo explain it when the time is right." Roman answered. He turned around and walked towards the kitchen.

"It's nothing dirty, is it?" Jaune inquired.

Neo wrote down her response on a pad of paper sitting on the coffee table in front of them. Neo and Jaune were sitting side by side on a beautifully crafted leather couch. **It's not dirty but it is embarrassing to ask of someone**

Jaune gave her an inquisitive look but decided to let it be. "What's next?"

Neo signed something and then flipped to a new page **That sign means I love you** She became fidgety and her cheeks tinged a bit pink. She then wrote some more down. **It's important to know if you want to let someone like your mom or dad know that you care about them**

"Like this?"

Neo shook her head. She did it again. Jaune repeated her motion. "I love you." He said after completing the motions. Neo nodded in approval. "I love you." Juane did it again. He smiled at her. Neo blushed harder and lowered her head so that Jaune couldn't see her expression. On impulse Jaune reached out and touched Neo's cheek. She flinched but then put her hand on top of Jaune's. She raised her head and returned his smile. Roman watched from the kitchen doorway. He wished he could protect the two of them from the hideous conflict plaguing the city but it was beyond his power. He sighed and set about to make tea for them all.

"WHAT?" Walter Schnee nearly collapsed from his chair.

"I can't stop them, sir. They have warrants and everything." His butler informed him.

"Gah!" Walter grinded his teeth and tightened his grip on the armrests "I though we paid off the all the investigators in Vale."

"They're federal investigators, sir. From Mr. Ness's unit."

"Those damn "Untouchables"?" Walter snarled.

"It appears so, sir."

"Stall them for as long as you can. I'll be right down." Walter instructed. The butler bowed and left Walter's study.

'I'm doomed, unless…' He got an idea. Walter tilted the painting in his office to reveal the hidden safe behind it. Walter turn the dial and the safe opened. 'I'll just throw any damning evidence in here. They'll never find it.' He chuckled to himself. Walter began shoveling all of the ledgers into the safe. Once he was finished he closed the safe and brought the painting back down. He then left his study to go meet the federal investigators.

"It seems we are all here." The Mayor of Vale called to order a special meeting of alderman and important town figures. "Let us now discuss the possibility of resolving the conflict between the White Fang and the Xiao Long Family…"

AN:

Ha ha I actually cranked out this chapter pretty quickly after the last one

The next chapter will begin with the meeting and also reveal more of the investigation into Walter Schnee's illicit activities

In case you're wondering what Roman signed it will be revealed in a later chapter


	6. Chapter 6

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 6

A number of important local figures were seated around a long table in a City Hall meeting room. The Mayor, The Chief of Police, Tenured Aldermen, and Henri Arc were holding a meeting to discuss the possibility of mediating the conflict between the White Fang and the Xiao Long Family.

"As you know," The Mayor began. "For the past few years there has been an ongoing conflict between the White Fang and the Xiao Long Family. This conflict has caused millions in property damage and hundreds of civilian deaths over the years. I have been content to overlook this squabble and accept it as the normality of Vale livelihood but no longer. It is time for us to come together and put an end to this senseless violence." His empowered speech did not go over very well.

"Pat," The Chief of Police was the first to respond. "All of us sitting here have taken some form of bribe or favor from one or both sides. You do know what would happen to us if we were to start pursuing them now."

"And that is why I have decided to rely on outside help. Please come in." The door opened and a man in a business suit walked in.

"You're Elliot Ness." Henri gawked. "What are you doing here?"

"The Kingdom's Treasury Department has asked me to crack down on both the White Fang and Xiao Long's refusal to accept Prohibition. Starting today until both entities are dealt with my agents and I will be assisting the local law enforcement.

"But Mr. Ness…" The Chief of Police started but he was cut off by Elliot.

"I am well aware that most of you have accepted bribes and favors from both parties however if you are willing to assist me then I have been given the authority by the Kingdom to grant you immunity."

This caused a chatter amongst the people present. The only person who remained silent through all of this was Henri. Nothing that had been said applied to him. He was just an influential figure who had no political or social connection to either the White Fang or the Xiao Long Family. Finally he decided to raise his voice.

"Excuse me, Pat but why was I asked to come here? None of this applies to me."

"Ah Henri, well you see you are to be the face of this appeal. The people have little faith in the government and police right now, but if a respected war hero were to be the one to suggest this then it would go over well with the public and may even bring both families to the negotiating table. They are Vale citizens too after all."

"So basically I'm the poster boy of your grand scheme."

"In layman's terms, yes, however you are much more than a mere poster boy." The Mayor was quick to elevate Henri's status. Henri mused over the Mayor's plan for a bit before giving his approval.

"Okay. I'm as sick of this violence as the next guy. I'll help you out, Pat."

"Thanks, Henri. I knew I could rely on you." The Mayor, Chief of Police, Aldermen, Henri, and Mr. Ness then began to hammer out the specifics of the plan to create peace between the rival gangs.

"Hello gentlemen. Is there something I can help you with?" Walter Schnee tried his best to hide his anxiousness.

"We're sorry to intrude," The brown haired agent with glasses told Walter, "but we have a search warrant for this estate. We have reason to believe that you have been abusing your position as Collector of the Port to smuggle weapons to the White Fang."

"Hmph." Snuffed Walter. "That's just baseless, tabloid rumors but if you have a warrant I suppose I can't say much."

"Thank you." The agent and his partner split up and began searching the house.

"Shall I prepare you some tea, sir." The butler inquired.

"Yes, that would be splendid." Walter told him.

The agents searched and searched but uncovered nothing (because Walter had hid all incriminating evidence away in his safe). The agent once again apologized for the intrusion and then left with his partner. Walter returned to his study and took the ledges out of the hidden safe. Out of the blue the phone rang. He picked up the receiver.

"Ahoy, Walter." The voice greeted.

"Hello, Peter. This is rare receiving a phone call from you."

"Well I have something urgent to tell you. The Feds showed up at the shipyard today and searched my ship and grilled me pretty hard. I didn't tell them nothing and they didn't find any evidence but they're definitely on to us."

"What a coincidence, two federal agents showed up at my house today with a search warrant. They didn't find anything either but I almost had a heart attack."

"Listen about the next shipment maybe we should change the time? That way we could fool them."

"Hmm," Walter scratched his mustache. "I see your point under the cover of darkness we could silently do the transaction and no one would be the wiser."

"Okay. So next time meet me at 11 o'clock."

"Will do. Thanks for the heads up, Peter."

"No problem. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Walter hung up the phone.

"11 o'clock. Is that okay?" Peter turned to ask the man standing behind him.

"You did fine." The agent patted Peter on the shoulder. "And don't worry you and your crew will receive clemency as we promised."

"The time has been moved to 11 o'clock. The brown haired agent with the glasses took off the headphones connected to the tape recorder. The real goal of the agent's search was to plant a wiretap on Walter's phone in the study. They assumed that Walter would hide any incriminating evidence but they could easily tap his phone and trap him that way. Not long after Walter left, Federal agents stormed the shipyard and promptly arrested Peter and his crew. Unlike in Walter's case, they had concrete evidence that Peter had been trafficking weapons. In exchange for his help in prosecuting Walter they would grant him and his crew clemency.

As Roman feared he was running low on alcohol and the day wasn't close to being over. Just when all hope seemed lost Mercury arrived with crates of whiskey and gin. A great huzzah arose from the patrons and Roman graciously thanked his friend. On the other end of town there was a much more serious mood. Don Taiyang Xiao Long sat at the head of a table his two daughters seated on either side of him. A number of other important capos sat along the table.

"For years I have had to play second fiddle to the White Fang. We were making and selling booze in this town years before they showed up but now they think they run the damn place. It appears that I have been too tolerant of those clowns. I'm open to suggestions as to how to settle this once and for all." The room fell silent. It would take something really big to strike a fatal blow against La Signora and the White Fang.

"How about we bomb some of their gambling establishments?" One capo suggested.

"Naw you're thinking small." Taiyang pressed his thumb to his pointer and middle finger and shook his hand to convey his dismay.

"We go after Mercury and Emerald." Another capo proposed.

"We tried that and they've escaped every time. Those pair are more crafty than foxes." Another capo interjected.

"Hey how about Roman." Ruby recommended. "So far all we've done is try to blow up his place but he's reinforced that place with enough steel to build a battleship. Why don't we kidnap him and demand a ransom from La Signora?"

"Do you know how heavily guarded he is?" Yang snapped back. If it was that easy we would've kidnapped him years ago."

"What about his family?" Ruby refused to give up on her idea.

"I heard his brother is some well-to-do businessman but he's far away from Vale. Other than that I haven't heard anything as far as any kids." One of the capos revealed.

"Find out if he has anyone close to him, girlfriend, niece, second cousins, I don't care just tail him and find out." Taiyang instructed. Recieving their order, the capos all stood up and exited. Taiyang lit a cigar and leaned back in his chair after the last one left and shut the door behind him. He took a long puff from it and then closed his eyes.

AN:

I want to apologize for long it took to upload this.


	7. Chapter 7

The Lady in Pink

The story is my idea but it was inspired by things by people grossly more talented than I am

Chapter 7

"Don Taiyang!" A grunt came bursting into his room, interrupting his smoke.

"What is it?" He growled. He was in a foul mood after being unable to come up with a decent strategy to deal with Roman and the White Fang.

"Turn on the radio, Don. You have to listen to this."

"What are the Yankees losing?"

"Naw it's not that. Just put on the radio." The grunt beseeched his boss.

"Fine, fine." Taiyang stood up and went over to the radio on top of small table near the east side of the room and switched it on. The radio gurgled and sputtered as it turned on. "...upon both the leaders of the White Fang and Xiao Long Family to end hostilities immediately. The citizens of Vale have suffered for too long due to the violence between these groups. If they do not cease hostilities then the full power of the law will be brought upon them." Taiyang switched off the radio.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, livid. He took his cigar out of his mouth, dropped it on the floor and then crushed it with his foot. "Nobody tells Taiyang Xiao Long what to do! Come on boys we're going to pay a visit to the radio station. He swiftly left his office and made his way towards the entrance. At the door he was handed a trenchcoat and a fedora. A waiting black Rolls Royce roared to life as a gangster opened the front passenger side door for him. Taiyang entered the car. The gangster shut the door and opened the rear passenger side door and entered the car. The black Rolls Royce took off trailed by three other cars. Taiyang took a cigar out of his chest pocket and put it in his mouth. He took his lighter out of his right pocket tried to light the cigar but his hands were trembling in anger so he had difficulty lighting the cigar. "Here Don, let me." One of the gangsters in the backseat extended his hand. Taiyang roughly put the lighter in his outstretched hand. The gangster lit the cigar and pocketed the lighter.

'I'm gonna kill all those lousy sons of bitches.' Taiyang mused, furrowing his eyebrows.

Emerald turned off the radio. "Ms. Cinder, shall I gather some men and head to the radio station?"

"No." La Signora replied. She took a long puff from her cigarette holder. "That hotheaded Taiyang is probably on his way there now. Let him take care of it. I'm more concerned about how our relationship with our dear Police Chief will be from now on. It sounds like he has forgotten all the favors we did to get him elected to the position. Perhaps he needs to be reminded of what will happen if he breaks his end of the bargain."

"Of course. I will see to it." Emerald bowed and then left La Signora alone. She reached over and picked up a telephone. She placed it on her lap and lifted the receiver. "He's probably at the Round Robin right now." She dialed the number and waited for Roman to pick up.

"Hello?" The male voice on the other end answered.

"Roman."

"Cinder."

"Do you think you could stop by today after work? Bring something nice with you too. I'm not feeling too well."

"I'm no doctor but I don't think hooch is the best way to cure whatever you have."

Cinder chuckled. "Oh Roman, ever the comedian. I'm fine; I just need a drink to pick my spirits up is all. I've received some rather unfortunate news and it's put me in quite a rut."

Roman paused for a bit. "I see. I'll come see you right after I close."

Cinder gave a low sensual moan in response. "See you later then." She delicately whispered.

Roman hung up the phone and let out a long sigh.

"What's the matter, Roman?" Jaune asked. He had been spending more and more of his free time at the Round Robin. He split his time almost evenly between seeing Weiss and Neo outside of his scheduled meeting with both of them. His relationship with Weiss hadn't improved, they still didn't see each other as anything more than friends, but lately he found himself noticing subtle changes in her appearance. She was wearing her hair more loosely and applying more makeup than usual when they would go out on "dates". He didn't know what sparked her sudden change in appearance but she was much prettier than when they would meet at parties hosted by their parents. He considered asking Roman his opinion but Jaune didn't want to make it seem like he was interested in other woman besides Neo. Roman would probably string him up by his neck if he started seeing other girls.

"It's an adult matter." Roman remarked with a solemn expression. Jaune decided to not press the issue and took a sip of his drink.

"Neo told me her birthday is coming up." Jaune broke the silence between them.

"Oh, you're right. So much has been happening lately that I forgot it was coming up."

"Is there anything special she wants as a present?"

"Hmm…" Roman rubbed his chin. "The White Fang gives me a lot of money so there isn't anything material that she's lacking. She hasn't bothered me about getting her a new dress or hat lately. I'm sure if whatever present you give her she'll gladly accept." Roman responded. Jaune toyed with his glass, rocking it to and fro. An article of clothing or piece of jewelry would normally be an acceptable birthday gift for a young woman in her twenties but Jaune wanted to give her something with more significance. 'I've got it!' He thought.

"Thanks for the help, Roman." Jaune said as he grabbed his hat and dashed out the door. Roman waved goodbye to him. 'Now then…' Roman eyed the array of liquor bottles underneath the counter. 'I wonder which one I should bring?' Roman closed up the Round Robin and put the bottle underneath his jacket. He supported the underside of the bottle with his hand so that it wouldn't slip and fall out. He hailed a cab and told the cabbie where to go. At first the cabbie was reluctant to drive up to White Fang headquarters but after Roman gave him a very generous tip the cabbie suddenly mustered up his courage and took Roman there. Roman thanked the cabbie and stepped out of the cab. White Fang headquarters was a mansion in the nouveau riche district of Vale. It was surrounded on all sides by a very large brick wall that was almost impossible to scale and a gate that made the entranceway to hell look like a welcome mat. Roman pushed the buzzer outside the gate. A periscope peering over the brick wall confirmed his identity and a heavily armed man in a white suit and fedora opened the gate for him, his tommy gun slung over his shoulder with a strap.

"Good evening Mr. Torchwick, La Signora has been expecting you."

"I know, I brought a little something to ease her mind." He patted the bottle hidden underneath hsi coat.

"I see." The guard smiled. "Tell her to save some for us too. We can can get pretty thirsty out here."

"I will." Roman chuckled. The guard walked Roman to the front door which was separated by a huge lawn. The lawn was decorated with bushes here and there all precisely trimmed into a spherical shape. Once they reached the front door the guard knocked on the door and another guard opened it.

"Oh, Mr. Torchwick." He greeted. "Right this way." Roman was well known acquaintance of La Signora so all of the guards met him at least once before. The other guard began the trek back to return to his post at the gate while the other guard led Roman up the grand staircase to the second floor. The interior of the mansion was exquisitely decorated. If you didn't know better you'd think royalty lived in the mansion not the leader of mafia group.

"She's in there." The guard left Roman in front of a door. He then turned and walked away. Roman gently rapped on the door with his pointer finger.

"Yes?" Cinder answered.

"It's me, Cinder. I brought the medicine you asked for." Roman replied, a bit of hesitation in his voice.

"Oh Roman~," Cinder sensually moaned his name. Roman shuddered. "Come in, darling."

Roman braced himself and then turned the knob. Laying on top of her bed in an arousing pose was Cinder wearing a black lace bra that did little to hide her ample bosom and black lace tap pants that clung to her supple legs. "Hello Roman," She cooed. "Be a dear and close the door behind you." She instructed. Roman did as he was told.

"Hello Cinder." He took off his coat and tossed it to the side. He presented the bottle to her. "Sixty proof gin. This should cure whatever ails you."

"Aren't you just a doll." Cinder placed her pointer finger under Roman's chin and flicked her finger. "Pour me some, wouldn't you, darling?" Roman went over to the dresser and fetched a wine glass and a bottle opener. He brought it back and gave the wine glass to Cinder. He used the bottle opener to uncork the bottle and then filled Cinder's glass halfway.

"Mmm~ thanks, darling." Cinder took a drink. "Oh that's good." She complimented.

"I'm glad you like it."

"But this isn't nearly enough to make me feel better." She turned around and set the glass down on her bedside table. "I need something with a little more… stimulation." She turned back around and slithered across the cover until she was staring Roman directly in the eye their faces close enough to feel each others breath. She snaked her right arm around Roman back and her left arm around the back of his head, tenderly grabbing his orange hair. She pressed her lips to his and passionately slobbered all over his lips. She then used her tongue as a wedge to pry open Roman's lips and insert her tongue inside his mouth. His tongue danced in a wild frenzy around his mouth exploring the roof of his mouth and oral cavity. She finally broke away to take a few deep gulps of air before attacking Roman once again. She started licking the left side of his neck like a cat. Cinder could feel her body temperature rising with every impassioned act. She then sprung, wrestling Roman to the ground. She straddled him and methodically began to undo his shirt buttons one by one starting with the ones closest to his neck. Roman made no attempt to stop her and let Cinder continue undressing him. Once she had undone all of the buttons she leaned down and began licking his chest in long streaks beginning near his stomach and ending near his collar bone. Cinder and Roman were used to this exchange. The two had a platonic relationship from Roman's perspective. He wasn't romantically interested in Cinder although the two of them had been close friends since childhood. Cinder on the other hand was madly in love with Roman and desired him daily. The first time she had assaulted Roman he tried to reason with her but in the heat of her excitement she was unable to think rationally. By the time she regained control of her senses she had already taken his virginity. Roman tried to limit physical contact between himself and Cinder as much as possible because whenever they met, like now for instance, they would end up having sex. Cinder had enough foreplay and was now ready to move onto her goal. She unzipped Roman's pants and retrieved his erection from his underwear. She slid her tap pants down just enough to expose her opening. She inserted Roman's erection into her pussy and began to pump up and down at a frantic pace. She let a wave of euphoria sweep across her entire body and elicited high pitched shrieks with every thrust. Finally Roman came and Cinder fell on top of him panting and sweating profusely.

"Oh God, Roman…" Cinder wheezed. "I love you so much."

Roman stared up at the ceiling. He thought back to his childhood and how innocent the two of them once were. Now she was a mob boss and he was a bootlegger. He wondered if he had made the right choice in his life or if he had squandered his one chance at a peaceful existence.

"Feel better?" Roman asked, hugging Cinder."

Cinder grunted in the affirmative.

AN:

\- I'm not dead, just lazy

\- I have no idea when the next chapter will be up expect it in a year or so


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